Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Words that need to be repeated



Many Lucas Countyans, most likely a majority, have felt entitled until quite recently to complacency with regard to COVID-19 numbers, among the lowest in the state.

That began to change during late July and the trend has accelerated in early August. When August began, there had been 45 confirmed corona virus cases (and four deaths) in Lucas County; yesterday, there were 77 cases. The total still is modest when compared with those elsewhere in the state, but the rate of growth is now among the highest. 

There are various reasons for this, some quite obvious, but most are related to words I shared last week on Facebook, found among the daily reflections of a gentleman named Steven Charleston. Charleston, who is Native American and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, is a retired Episcopal priest who served as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska, 1991-1996, and then as dean and president of the Episcopal Divinity School, then located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999-2008.

Today, based in Oklahoma City, he publishes daily reflections on the intersections of spirituality among many cultures on Facebook and self-publishes in print via Red Moon Publications. Here, again, is what Bishop Charleston had to say:

It is not widely known, but medical researchers are working on more than one vaccine for conditions that have been revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic:

(1) the anti-ego vaccine, used to deflate massively swollen egos in some public figures,

(2) the Darwin vaccine, used to help some people recognize that they are, in fact, in the midst of a real epidemic and need to wear a mask,

(3) the science-is-good vaccine, used to help people believe what their doctors are telling them, and,

(4) the public responsibility vaccine, used to cure people of the idea that everything is always about them and their personal rights.

Scientists report that a vaccine for the virus itself will probably be available long before they can discover a treatment for these other maladies since these conditions seem to be so difficult to treat in our society.

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